


A Sound in the Loft

by its_mike_kapufty



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [11]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Animals, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_mike_kapufty/pseuds/its_mike_kapufty
Summary: Link finds a new friend in ME's loft, and Rhett isn't scared of it for the reasons Link would assume.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Tumblr Ficlets [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170695
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	A Sound in the Loft

**Author's Note:**

> For the one-word prompt "sound."

“Just because you can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s nothing! I’m not crazy.” Link puts his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder to the loft. “There’s somethin’ up there.”

It would be easier to indulge Link than to waste breath fighting with him. Rhett sighs and pushes to a stand from the desk, dropping his work on it with a thump. “So, what… you wanna go chase down whatever it is?”

Link flashes him an excited grin and nods, and instantly Rhett’s sure this is just a stupid prank–that a nasty surprise is going to be waiting for him up there. As much as he hates being made to look a fool, it’s probably being recorded. And where there are cameras and humiliation involved, views are bound to follow. Damn their logistical view on everything.

Once they’re in the loft, Rhett can hear it, too. A chewing or munching of kind, small and toothy. He groans. “We have mice.”

“I don’t think so,” Link whispers, putting his ear to the brick. He follows the sound along the wall, listening closely until they’re at a less-than-maintained corner where the grout is weak. “We use no-kill traps. I’d be surprised if it was a mouse. Right here,” he instructs, pointing to a brick that will come away easily if tugged. 

Rhett gives him an incredulous look. Who knows what’s hidden behind there. “I’m not touching that.” 

Link rolls his eyes and digs his fingernails on either side of the brick, prying it loose and revealing a baby squirrel in a nest of fibers between the boards behind. Rhett jumps back like he’s been bitten as Link’s mouth forms a perfect ‘o’ of surprise. “Aww!”

“No! Not ‘aww,’ how the hell are squirrels in our wall?!”

“Look at how tiny it is,” Link marvels, getting his face entirely too close to the opening to inspect the kit at close range. Before Rhett can warn Link to back off unless he wants an angry mom to relieve him of his nose out of nowhere, Link is reaching in and collecting the doe-eyed ball of gray fluff into his palms, and Rhett balks.

“What are you doing? Put it back!” Rhett cries, throwing a hand at the nest.

Link bursts into laughter, cradling the pup and shaking his head. “Will you relax? I know you don’t like rodents, but _yeesh._ You’re like an elephant with a mouse.” Link holds the critter to his chest, eyes twinkling as it sniffs him curiously. It’s clearly the highlight of his day.

“What if it bites you? You want rabies?”

“Rhett, it’s a _baby._ It probably doesn’t even have fully grown teeth yet. Calm down.”

“It was munchin’ on something in there! It’s got teeth!”

“Here. I think you should hold it.” Link cups his hands carefully and extends them, offering the furry friend, and Rhett grimaces… but doesn’t move to leave. “It’ll be good for you. I’m fine, aren’t I?”

Rhett glowers, eyebrows knit as he considers it. Anxiously he runs a hand over his thigh. “…I’m scared I’ll hurt it. It’s–It’s so small.”

“You won’t hurt it, Rhett. You’re big, but you’re not a monster.” Link passes the baby off to him as the large man swallows, feels the quivering blip of life in his palms while it inspects him. Innocent and trembling. When it becomes clear that the squirrel isn’t scared, Rhett relaxes just a hair and Link smiles. “See? You’re fine.”

“So small,” Rhett mumbles, daring to run a shaking thumb over its sprout of a tail. "Wonder how it feels. Must be nice.”

Link stares for a moment–gaze metronoming between his partner and the squirrel–before he steps over and hugs Rhett’s side gingerly and insistent, looking down at the kit with him. 

“When giants are as gentle as you, Rhett, it is.”


End file.
